Shop Choice  Pt II  Another Fine Beginning
by Lil Nezumi
Summary: Part II - There is still a Pet Shop in L.A.'s Chinatown, only it's not run by who you think.  The new owner must now begin to fulfill the shop's purpose and draw his first 'three rule' contract.


**Title: **Shop Choice - II - Another Fine Beginning

**Main pairing:** None at this time, future tales may contain m/m pairings, you've just been warned.

_**MY Inspiration:**_ Pet Shop of Horrors (all media types), Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo (various media types), unfinished story found at www dot adultfanfiction dot net ("The PetShop's Chosen", by Katus Kaijou, a WIP: only 2 small chapters, posted 2006/10/23 and last updated 2006/10/25)

**Disclaimer:** This is my standard disclaimer; I don't own anything in regards to the sources of _**MY**__**Inspiration**_. All publically recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

All the characters, worlds, base concepts or general ideas are just a bit food for the writing bug. This story is pure fiction and is in no way meant to copy or reflect real life, events or people, should this happen then obviously it is pure coincidence.

**Author's Note:** After the last Manga of the original series, please discount the tiny epilogue of a future Chris and Count D's supposed son. This story will by AU or AR, however you feel about Alternate whatevers... I will deem this one, an AC - Alternate Continuation story. Hmm...I think I like that term, never seen it used before, so from here on however I'm inspired to writer alternative endings, I believe that AC is an appropriate acronym for fanfiction. (LOL)

**Summary:** Part II - There is still a Pet Shop in L.A.'s Chinatown, only it's not run by who you think. The new owner must now begin to fulfill the shop's purpose and draw his first '_three rule_' contract.

**Speech Legend: **(This is the standard by which I write most of my stories and therefore you will not see this repeated in future chapters)

"Normal"  
>'<em>Thoughts<em>'  
>(…Other LanguagesMind Speak/Alternate Speech Patterns like sign language…)

Leon O - Leon O - Leon O

"**Another fine beginning..."**

Leon O - Leon O - Leon O

Another fine beginning to an average day at the shop, as the new owner looked up old records and shipment information. It took a crash course by way of a community night class, in small business management to bring him up to some semblance of order and understanding about owning a shop. However there was still so much to learn about this particular kind of shop.

He'd demanded and received the magical equivalent of a laptop computer, in the form of a ledger book. It was actually quite perfect for tracking his magical contracts and anything else that was required of him in order to now maintain the shop. It came from questionable sources, but he wasn't one to argue against any means that allowed him the chance to maintain the kind of shop that needed to be maintained at this location.

He started with a very base bit of knowledge and the shop allowed him some adjustment time before he actually had to answer the call to create his first '_three rule_' contract. As a former detective, he knew about the baser nature of man, but that still didn't make him too comfortable about what the shop was asking him to do.

Animals were slowly finding their way to him and the shop. The shop tried its best to prepare him, but there was also the human saying or story of '_Trial by Fire_', which summed up to basically a few other common sayings like, '_Flying by the seat of your pants_' or '_Diving right in_.'

Leon had decided and the shop agreed that a system of three bells were needed for him. One, high and tinkling in friendliness, to signal the arrival of someone normal looking for an everyday pet and didn't need an actual contract. The second, mid-range and pleasant, but sounded cautious, for those that needed contracts, but were the ones that had the potential of turning out all right, whether the contract was kept or not. The last bell rang with a deep warning tone and this was for those that a contract failure may actually end in a visit from the local law enforcement or governmental agencies.

"Which one would you have rung?" Leon asked the shop. "You know... if D had used this method, whenever I came to visit him in the past." He felt the shop pause and then it rang out the first and second bell with a single tone from the third. It was a nice sound when all three rang. He chuckled and the shop emanated its pleasure in return.

That was only days ago.

Today was different. That third bell rang, today.

Leon paused from his task where he'd been cleaning up after a pair of thieving ferrets, who're named Podo and Kodo. These two came from the imagination of a movie maker and graphic novelist or something like that.

However he'd known that this day was coming. He wasn't stupid to ever think that the third bell would never ring, but he might have been hoping that it would've been a little later.

Recalling the manners he'd been practicing and making sure that his dark blue Japanese robes were tied securely, he went to main room to meet the customer. He looked into the eyes of a man who was dressed in a very expensive suit and tie.

"Welcome to Orcot's Pet Shop," he said in a neutral pleasant tone and a slight welcoming bow from which his eyes never left the man's face. To look away was just asking for danger. He registered the customer's surprise at his manner of speech and dress.

This was Chinatown after all and you'd expect the owner of a Chinese shop to be dressed in regular clothing or something similar to their traditional outfits. However Leon felt more comfortable wearing the Japanese Hakuma style rather than something in silk. The shop allowed him this eccentricity, but it also maintained a closet of Chinese clothing and traditional dress for when the blond eventually got used to wearing them.

The customer looked about the shop, as though expecting something or someone else, but he said, "I just came here out of curiosity."

"I understand," Leon said with his blue eyes taking in the large car waiting outside of the shop's door. "Do you plan to take ownership of a particular pet or would you like to browse our wares today?"

The man looked at his watch and then said, "I have time to look around. Have you always been the owner here?"

Leon just smiled and guided the man without answering, as the man was now showing interest in some of the creatures peaking out at them from the shadows of the shop. A couple of doors deep within the corridors were loudly slammed shut, as the two progressed deeper.

"What's in those rooms that we've just passed," the man asked.

"Ordinary pets," Leon said. "Not the kind that would interest a man of your presence." The man snorted at the seeming buttering up kind of shop keeper talk. "Well, unless you truly are the kind of man that is looking for a traditional pet like a cat or dog?"

"Not likely," the man said with a grin acknowledging that maybe this shop keeper may know what he's talking about. "I'm a man of business, serious business."

Leon nodded. His ex-detective's gut was churning at the potential thoughts of just what kind of business this man was in. It was there in the way he walked, dressed, talked and thought little of a white American male keeping shop in a slightly obscure part of Chinatown.

"What kind of pet would you be interested in seeing," Leon had to ask. Leading questions were nothing new to him, so this part of the shop process didn't surprise him. "We have a large variety of exotic types too."

The man paused only a moment to think about his needs and then thought about the warehouse that had been broken into a couple of times the last few weeks. "A guard dog of some kind," the man said. "Don't care how mean it is, I have a bit of property that needs to be guarded from trespassers."

"I see," Leon said with a dramatic pause. "Perhaps a pair would suit your needs, what do you think? I have a pair of larger mixed breed dogs that have that kind of guardian background. They are a handful though."

"I'd have to see them," the man replied, not caring how troublesome they'd be.

"Of course," the blond replied. "They're just a few doors down." He indicated an open door about five doors down from their current location.

The man stepped into the room and noted the strange smell, but disregarded it completely. Stepping into the room the man noted that it was filled with shadows. He felt that he was being watched.

From the shadows came two forms that shifted and settled into large human shapes, but their shadows were definitely those of a canine form. Their eyes glowed red in the half light of the room. They were collared and a length of chain linked them to one another by their collars. One was slightly smaller, but they were of a kind in looks and power.

The other feature that stood out for the man was the fact that their mouths and entire jaws, including their noses were covered by a large black leather band. He could only see their eyes and those eyes were perfect. They were predatory, menacing and would completely intimidating to his trespassers.

He then said, "This is a joke right? You can't be telling me that these two are pets."

"Of course they are," Leon said, beckoning the dog-like creatures. He petted one of them on the head and the other received a gentle scratch behind one ear. The eyes of these creatures lit with pleasure and half closed at the attention they were receiving from the owner of the shop. "It's like I told you, they are a mixed breed of the larger dog families."

"Hmph," the man said looking over the two large human looking things.

"Perhaps you need a demonstration of their abilities," Leon said, wondering of the shop's suggestion would push the man over. "They've yet to be fed and mostly enjoy the hunt for prey as well as the devouring of them."

"I think that's a wise idea," the man said.

"This way please," Leon said, after removing the gags that the two young men-looking creatures had been wearing. Removing the masks revealed rows of sharp teeth that didn't look like they ever belonged on a human. He led the man to a comfortable chair on a slowly rising platform. "Please be seated."

"What's the meaning of this," the man said at the movement he was experiencing and the distance being placed between him and the '_pets_'.

"Oh, this is for your protection," Leon said. "You don't want to be on the same level when they begin their hunt, as they could mistake you for food. Please watch." He pointed to the small maze that appeared and look of trees and boulders. Another humanoid form appeared in the distance and then several others of the same followed. Their steps were cautious, hesitant and yet were delicate.

The man watched the whole stalking of the prey. The silent hand signals that the two predators exchanged. He was fascinated by the whole presentation and didn't flinch when the two '_dogs_' leapt onto the back of one of the humanoid figures that had intruded into their territory.

His eyes widened dramatically as he watched the two take down the other creature. They had a firm grip of the creature with their powerful jaws and their teeth of sharp tearing power.

The whole demonstration took about only half an hour, but the man wanted them. He wanted them with a need to own something so dangerously powerful. His grin was not nice and the owner of the shop knew how the whole contract would eventually end.

"I'll take them," the man said. "I'll pay whatever your price is to own them."

"I'm afraid that only the shop can own them," Leon then explained. "I can contract their service out to others in need, but the shop must retain their license. The city demands it for dogs trained as they have been trained."

"Damn the city," the man said. "I want them."

"A standard contract for usage is usually three months," Leon said.

"A year," the man countered.

Leon paused and then said, "The longest I can allow is six months at a time based on the situation." He held up his long fingered hand that was now completely free of its tobacco nicotine stains. "We can renew it as long as you need, but every three months I will have to review the dogs' living situation and treatment. It would be irresponsible for me to do otherwise. I don't want the city council to mandate their destruction because they were only obeying their trained orders."

"Damn City Council," the man said. "Interfering busybodies, very well, we'll start out with a six month contract."

Leon looked to the two dogs in the distance and sensed their agreement. Money needed to start coming in and it was time for the human to get used to doing this.

"Very well," the shop keeper said. "We'll start with the standard contract with a six month time limit." He led the man out of the room to allow the creatures to finish their meal in peace.

"Where are we going," the man said looking back to the pets that were staring at him with their glowing red eyes.

"To review the contractual obligations," Leon said. "They need twenty-four hours to rest after their meal, which is best to let them do so in a familiar environment. I will bring them to the location you wish them to guard and to go over the commands they know with you."

"All right," the man agreed, grudgingly.

"Now," Leon said with a judging gaze that the man completely ignored. "This is the city's regulations for you to review, including the list of commands that the dogs have been trained to obey. I recommend that you ensure that they recognize your scent whenever you choose to visit the location they guard and that goes for any of your other staff that are likely to be in the proximity of the dogs."

"How exactly do you wish me to do that," the man said, glancing at the paperwork. It was boring to read and he thought that he'd look into it at a later date.

"Unwashed shirts," Leon said. "Something that you've worn for a day and before it gets laundered should do it."

"You want me to sacrifice my shirts to dogs," the man asked.

"Of course not," Leon replied. "You can have someone just go by the location from time to time with one of your unwashed shirts so that the dogs will recognize your scent for when you actually do show up."

"I see," the man said.

"Now this is the actual contract that requires your signature and complete attention to the conditions therein," Leon said. "One; feed them every other day with a special mash, which we will provide for you in order to feed them. Two; do not let anyone see them without their gags. Three; do not remove their connecting chain or collars. Should you neglect any of these conditions, this shop cannot be held responsible for any consequences resulting from it. Do you agree to these conditions?"

"What a set of ridiculous conditions," the man said looking over the contractual paper. "What if I refuse to sign this stupid piece of paper?"

"Then our negotiations will come to an end," Leon said matter-of-factly.

"If humans are harmed because of their training," the man said.

"The city is aware of their capabilities and have agreed that no charges would be pressed against this shop or anyone hiring them for the purpose of using them as they've been trained," Leon explained. "It is your choice."

The man paused to think about the way they had hunted together. Their connecting chain seemed to disappear during that process, but as they fed it was still there. '_Had to have been a trick of the light,_' he thought. '_What the hell, they're the best idea that I could come up with and they'll anyone that trespasses. That should protect my shipments from now on._'

"All right gimme a pen," the man said. He signed his name on the dotted line and a copy of the contract was handed to him.

"I'll see you the day after next to deliver them to you," Leon said. "Do you have a particular location you wish me to bring them to?"

The man filled out the information for location that they were to protect and his agreement to pay a weekly fee for the delivery of the dogs' mash. It made sense if the shop was going to provide the food for them, that whoever delivered the food would be compensated for their trouble. It was also a way for the driver to pick up a used shirt to get the dogs used to the scent of the man they were now contracted to.

Leon watch the suited '_business_' man walk away. He sighed and knew that that one would come to an ugly end. He just didn't know when, why or just how, but he knew that it was going to happen. His active mind knew that justice would be done in one way or another. Behind bars or death didn't really matter in cases of men like the one that had just walked out of the shop.

The ex-detective was all too aware of how often some criminals '_got away_' from the human justice system and written laws because of technicalities in their defences or in the fact that they had damn good lawyers.

"Que sera, sera," he said in French. A language that he had been learning during his spare time and he'd found that saying appropriate for this situation, '_what will be, will be_'. He'll learn how to handle it when the time came and he hoped that he'd be able to do an acceptable job of it too, in comparison to the previous owner of this particular Pet Shop.

Leon O - Leon O - Leon O

**END**


End file.
